Sulo “Full English”

For many, the name Sulo will be quite familiar as he is in both the trad rock n roll band Diamond Dogs and the excellent ‘Super group’ The Crunch. However, given he is Swedish you might be a bit confused by the album title and the Union Jack on the cover.

The answer for that is quite clear when you hear the opening number “Lady Jane” which is decidedly English. Tracks like that and “Sorry For The Young” will have you thinking about the various incarnations of The Small Faces and The Faces. They have a laid back rock n roll feel that is both organ and guitar driven. The slower ballads like “Something About That Girl” and “Among The Angels” are reminders of the easy going pop n roll that good old Rod Stewart used to deliver in his prime.

Given the above, it will come as no surprise that Sulo’s work is also very similar from the output of The Quireboys. Like that band, tracks like “Run For Your Life” and the brilliant “Stand On The Rock just have a charm that makes them instantly loveable. There’s a sense of rock n roll vagabond to them but they’re delivered with a cheeky smile.

However, some of the best songs on this release are the ones where he allows the pop element to dominate, such as on “Is It Love On Your Mind” and “Life’s Work”. The latter of which is a great mid-tempo song that’s as catchy as hell.

You certainly get your money’s worth with this album as it’s 19 tracks long and includes some live favourites as well. That includes a version of The Quireboys “Roses and Rings” where, unless our ears mistake us, includes the great, gravelly tones of Spike himself.

Whilst there’s nothing ‘new’ or ‘alternative’ about this release, it’s a great reminder of how good, simple rock n roll can be. It follows a great heritage of acts like the Small Faces and The Kinks through to latter day classic bands like The Quireboys and Dog’s D’amour. There’s a slight irony that it takes a Swede to remind us of how great English rock n roll can be.